Power and Women in the Neo-Assyrian Palaces / Saana Svärd.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: Helsinki: University of Helsinki, Dept. of World Cultures 2012Edition: Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by due permission of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki in auditorium XII, on the 22nd of February, 2012 at 12 o'clockDescription: 323 pages : 1 figure; tables 25 cmISBN:
  • 9789521076305
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 935 Sv12p
Contents:
Chapter 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Theoretical departure points -- 1.2. Material and method -- 1.3. Women’s studies and feminist theory -- 1.4. The Neo-Assyrian Empire and the status of the Neo-Assyrian women -- 1.5. Structure of the dissertation -- Chapter 2. Power: individuals and structures -- 2.1. Individual power -- 2.2. Structural power -- 2.3. The duality of structure -- 2.4. Power and Mesopotamian women -- 2.5. Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire and Power of the Neo-Assyrian Palace Women -- 3.1. Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire -- 3.2. Women's Power -- 3.3. Conclusions and relation of power-words to "individual" and "structural" power -- Chapter 4. Women of the Palace in Hierarchies -- 4.1. Queen's and king's mothers -- 4.2. Daughters of the kings and other royal women -- 4.3. The Šakinu; Female administrator -- 4.4. Sekretus, musicians and other palace professionals -- Chapter 5. Women, Power and Heterarchy in the Neo-Assyrian Palaces -- -- 5.1. Foucauldian views on Power -- 5.2. Archaeology and negotiated power -- 5.3. Heterarchy in archaeology -- 5.4. Heterarchy in this study -- 5.5. Heterarchy power and the Neo-Assyrian women of the palace -- Chapter 6. Summary and Conclusions
Summary: "Power in general and women’s power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way in earlier research on Mesopotamian women. Hierarchical power structures were important in Mesopotamia, but other kinds of power structures existed as well. This study, which focuses on women in the palaces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (ca. 930–610 B.C.E.), draws attention to heterarchical power relations in which women were engaged in the Neo-Assyrian palace milieu. Heterarchical power relations include power relations such as reciprocal power, resistance, and persuasion. Although earlier research has certainly been aware of women’s influence in the palaces, this study makes explicit the power concepts employed in previous research and further develops them using the concept of heterarchy. The study is based on primary cuneiform sources and presents a detailed description of women in Neo-Assyrian palaces. However, it additionally shows that, by applying modern theories of power to the study of ancient texts, one can gain important new insights into the dynamics of ancient society."--
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Books Books Tantur Ecumenical Institute Library Main Collection (Lower Floor) 935 Sv12p (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available

Saana Svärd /
Power and Women in the Neo-Assyrian Palaces /
Copyright © Saana Svärd 2012 /
ISBN 978-952-10-7630-5 (Paperback) /
UNIGRAFIA Helsinki University Print /
Helsinki 2012

ABSTRACT: pages 5-6 /
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: pages 7-8 /
CONTENTS: pages 9-11.

Includes Bibliography (pages 306-323).

Chapter 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Theoretical departure points -- 1.2. Material and method -- 1.3. Women’s studies and feminist theory -- 1.4. The Neo-Assyrian Empire and the status of the Neo-Assyrian women -- 1.5. Structure of the dissertation -- Chapter 2. Power: individuals and structures -- 2.1. Individual power -- 2.2. Structural power -- 2.3. The duality of structure -- 2.4. Power and Mesopotamian women -- 2.5. Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire and Power of the Neo-Assyrian Palace Women -- 3.1. Power in the Neo-Assyrian Empire -- 3.2. Women's Power -- 3.3. Conclusions and relation of power-words to "individual" and "structural" power -- Chapter 4. Women of the Palace in Hierarchies -- 4.1. Queen's and king's mothers -- 4.2. Daughters of the kings and other royal women -- 4.3. The Šakinu; Female administrator -- 4.4. Sekretus, musicians and other palace professionals -- Chapter 5. Women, Power and Heterarchy in the Neo-Assyrian Palaces -- -- 5.1. Foucauldian views on Power -- 5.2. Archaeology and negotiated power -- 5.3. Heterarchy in archaeology -- 5.4. Heterarchy in this study -- 5.5. Heterarchy power and the Neo-Assyrian women of the palace -- Chapter 6. Summary and Conclusions

"Power in general and women’s power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way in earlier research on Mesopotamian women. Hierarchical power structures were important in Mesopotamia, but other kinds of power structures existed as well. This study, which focuses on women in the palaces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (ca. 930–610 B.C.E.), draws attention to heterarchical power relations in which women were engaged in the Neo-Assyrian palace milieu. Heterarchical power relations include power relations such as reciprocal power, resistance, and persuasion. Although earlier research has certainly been aware of women’s influence in the palaces, this study makes explicit the power concepts employed in previous research and further develops them using the concept of heterarchy. The study is based on primary cuneiform sources and presents a detailed description of women in Neo-Assyrian palaces. However, it additionally shows that, by applying modern theories of power to the study of ancient texts, one can gain important new insights into the dynamics of ancient society."--

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.